Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
Education Education Education GCSE Exams The Truth.
I have created this presentation on the UK education and qualifications system.
There is a fundamental misunderstanding of how GCSE qualifications work. The maths exam is not to a set standard, like the driving test, where if everyone meets the standard, everyone can drive. Student’s results are ranked and a set percentage pass at each level. If only the top 5% are allowed a level 9 then 5% it is every year. It is why the pass mark is not known before the exam is taken but needs to be worked out afterwards.
While about 67% of students pass maths GCSE and 68% pass English, they cannot necessarily spend it. Students need the ‘Magic 5.’ English, maths and any 3 others at level 4 and above. This is stable (fixed) at about 57%.
At the age of 16 our youth are separated into two categories, academic successes and academic failures in this proportion 57/43%. After 12 years of education, 43% will be purposefully failed.
If students do not get the Magic 5 they cannot go onto level 3 courses but stay stuck at level 2. They cannot apply to be nurses, police, dentists etc.
While students can re-sit maths or English the percentage that pass is low. For maths the pass rate is 20% of those that try to re-sit, which is obviously not all the 43%. The probability a student passes a re-sit gets lower for each time they try.
Now, of course, it maybe that people can argue all this is ‘fair,’ but there are lots of other facts quietly hidden.
With needing the Magic 5 this means;
• If you don’t pass English, you cannot study maths ‘A’ level, and visa versa.
• You cannot study dance level 3 if you do not pass English and or maths. Dance!
• You cannot study Art without English and maths GCSE.
• If you pass a level 2 course such as Public Services you will not be allowed to graduate to level 3 if you do not have English and/or maths but will be offered another level 2 course which is a wasted year.
These are my main contentions with the current GCSE situation.
1. The hard rank of 57% pass 43% fail needs discussion.
2. That GCSEs and later degrees are used as Universal Qualifications. There is no test for everything. Even IQ tests have been debunked. Passing English and maths has no connection between a student’s ability in Dance and should not block their progress.
3. If the pass/fail percentages remain fixed, and those who pass are guaranteed above average wages, those who do not pass should be allowed to leave education as soon as possible.
4. The idea that there are degree level jobs needs investigation. This is not a pilot’s licence to fly a plane. We need to go back to the possibility that workers can climb up an organisation without the requirement of a degree for a management position.
Recently, the previous Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak had a grand policy in education of, keeping students studying maths until they achieved a high grade. How can a Prime Minister so fundamentally misunderstand education? A high grade is only a high grade if it is higher than other grades. The primary aim of education is to rank students as 57% pass, 43% fail. How can your secondary aim be, everyone must stay until they pass?
It would be great to discuss any of the above.
Education Education Education GCSE Exams The Truth.
I have created this presentation on the UK education and qualifications system.
There is a fundamental misunderstanding of how GCSE qualifications work. The maths exam is not to a set standard, like the driving test, where if everyone meets the standard, everyone can drive. Student’s results are ranked and a set percentage pass at each level. If only the top 5% are allowed a level 9 then 5% it is every year. It is why the pass mark is not known before the exam is taken but needs to be worked out afterwards.
While about 67% of students pass maths GCSE and 68% pass English, they cannot necessarily spend it. Students need the ‘Magic 5.’ English, maths and any 3 others at level 4 and above. This is stable (fixed) at about 57%.
At the age of 16 our youth are separated into two categories, academic successes and academic failures in this proportion 57/43%. After 12 years of education, 43% will be purposefully failed.
If students do not get the Magic 5 they cannot go onto level 3 courses but stay stuck at level 2. They cannot apply to be nurses, police, dentists etc.
While students can re-sit maths or English the percentage that pass is low. For maths the pass rate is 20% of those that try to re-sit, which is obviously not all the 43%. The probability a student passes a re-sit gets lower for each time they try.
Now, of course, it maybe that people can argue all this is ‘fair,’ but there are lots of other facts quietly hidden.
With needing the Magic 5 this means;
• If you don’t pass English, you cannot study maths ‘A’ level, and visa versa.
• You cannot study dance level 3 if you do not pass English and or maths. Dance!
• You cannot study Art without English and maths GCSE.
• If you pass a level 2 course such as Public Services you will not be allowed to graduate to level 3 if you do not have English and/or maths but will be offered another level 2 course which is a wasted year.
These are my main contentions with the current GCSE situation.
1. The hard rank of 57% pass 43% fail needs discussion.
2. That GCSEs and later degrees are used as Universal Qualifications. There is no test for everything. Even IQ tests have been debunked. Passing English and maths has no connection between a student’s ability in Dance and should not block their progress.
3. If the pass/fail percentages remain fixed, and those who pass are guaranteed above average wages, those who do not pass should be allowed to leave education as soon as possible.
4. The idea that there are degree level jobs needs investigation. This is not a pilot’s licence to fly a plane. We need to go back to the possibility that workers can climb up an organisation without the requirement of a degree for a management position.
Recently, the previous Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak had a grand policy in education of, keeping students studying maths until they achieved a high grade. How can a Prime Minister so fundamentally misunderstand education? A high grade is only a high grade if it is higher than other grades. The primary aim of education is to rank students as 57% pass, 43% fail. How can your secondary aim be, everyone must stay until they pass?
It would be great to discuss any of the above.
